Misunderstood Destinies

She traveled down the Northern Mountains, her staff in hand and her utility belt tight around her waist. Layliana had just completed her Warrior Graduation in the village of Zeiza, hidden at the peak of the mountain. She was on her way to the Central Castle, which most people knew as the Kingdom of Garlan. Layliana had not often left Zeiza to venture the world. Only on her missions did she ever leave. She was wearing a midnight black tank-top, and part of her body was covered with a blue dress that wrapped around her left shoulder and across her chest. It only had one long-sleeve; her other arm sleeveless. She wore black leggings underneath that offered flexibility. The tattoo of her village crest was fresh on her skin and she was free to roam as she wanted to.

Garlan was soon to be in her view as she traveled down. The misty summit limited her view, but she had walked the path enough to know it blind. Her white hair flew behind her while the wind was blowing and her Elven Circlet glimmered in her pride of success. In the echoing, she swore she could already hear the busy town bustling with noise.

Jargos trampled through the woodland, his muscles vaulting him at speeds most humans never dreamed of. His skin was rough and his hair was dark and matted. He was fuzzy, with hair on his chest, forearms, legs and an odd fur collar covering his shoulders. He wore only a tattered warrior's kilt, and leather boots. His body was covered in black, elaborate and detailed runes, depicting the paws of bears on his hands and the fangs of wolves on him cheeks, which hid his own beastial teeth. He had finger nails like claws and his eyes were like coals. He sped through the forest, but not of his own will.

Layliana glanced over the horizon, the mist clearing to the lower altitude, and saw a tiny dot moving across a clearing that lead back into the Southern Darkwoods. She shrugged, thinking it was simply nothing and made her way to the Kingdom of Garlarn. Layliana glanced at the large gate and drawbridge. The walls were pure stone and knights guarded the entrance. She took in the view, wanting to see it at the fullest.

As he came to the wall, he simply leaped and climbed over it, instead of waiting for the drawbridge. He snuck into the kingdom after that, making his way through the streets

Layliana entered the kingdom, though something suddenly stopped her upon entering. Her eyes flashed white. She sensed a sudden darkness nearby. Layliana had a chill suddenly enter her spine. She looked around and noticed a shadow pass by. She tightened her grip on her staff, preparing for anything that came her way. Her blood was fresh as a warrior's before the battle.

"Who are you?" she said. She looked around. The people of the town were too occupied to pay her any mind. "I know you're near."

Jargos couldn't stop himself, he wandered the streets, a mere puppet on strings. His mind was racing, his will was suppressed.

Layliana didn't like what she was feeling. Following her trained instincts, she started tracking what she assumed was dark energy. Though, when she glanced around a corner to view what she was sure she was sensing, she only saw another figure. Layliana couldn't name what kind of creature he was for as she hadn't met one like him before. To her, it was a human crossed with a beastly figure.

Jargos knew he was being seen, but that's what the puppeteer wanted. He made Jargos turn his body around, letting whomever it was see him. Jargos was ashamed, he had no control, and feared for the life of the individual he saw before him. He fought of the command to snarl for a moment, then flashed his fangs before turning to leave

Layliana knew something wasn't quite right. She continued on close behind. She was sure by now that whoever she was watching surely wasn't friendly towards her and was aware of her presence. Layliana kept her staff in her hand, though the darkness she sensed was strong around the creature. Her eyes glowed white, signalling this, and she couldn't settle her magic.

Upon birth, Layliana was able to call upon her magic instantly upon a threat. Thus, when her eyes turned a white color and glowed, the bit of magic she knew was at her disposal then and there.

Jargos was able to break free for long enough to try and run away. He wanted out of the city, it was obvious by how he charged at the city wall. He made a sharp turn to distance himself from the castle and close in on the gates

Layliana instantly pursued him, trying to catch up with him quickly. She didn't know what made her chase him, but her instincts told her she was supposed to. She had never doubted her instinct before and decided not to now.

Just as he reached the gate and began climbing, the dark mage in control of him surged unbearable pain through his body to crush his will. Jargos roared out and fought through the pain, trying to climb the wall

Layliana started to notice that he was fighting against himself. Or, at least, that's what she thought. "He is... Not well." she said to herself. She held her hand out, as if her palm was some sort of radar to her. "Magic is bonding him." She jumped onto a rooftop, going from roof to roof until she reached the wall. She briefly did a sprint up wall and was able to grasp onto flags hanging before falling. "I can sense something is not right within you. Please, allow me to help!" she called out. "There is dark magic clouding you. My voice, listen to it!" It was obvious she wasn't from nearby villages by her accent.

Jargos couldn't hear the voice of the Elf, only the ringing in his ears. After much struggle his body began to give out and he dropped down from almost the top of the wall to the ground below, landing on his large feet with a thunderous sound. He didn't even seem to notice the deadly fall at started heading to to castle, walking once again

Layliana had finally had it. "Aurora!" she called out, her hand held toward him. She used the creature's own energy to contain him in one place. She jumped down from the wall and used her staff to break her fall, throwing it to the ground and back-flipping off of it. Layliana summoned the staff to her hand and drew it in defense. "Sorcerer that holds the shadowed creature, release him!" The aurora around him glowed the same color as her eyes as she tried to use her magic to sit him in one place.

Jargos' energy was so drained by his crushed will that his physical strength easily broke the barrier the Elf made. His body turned and his jaws moved, but the words were not his own and in place of his own voice, a dark sound carried out.

"The tool is mine to use, frail one. Behold it's might!" Jargos' body crouched low and launched forward, claws and fangs bared, his coal black runes glowing blue

Layliana jumped up and bounced off his head, landing behind him. She would have to find a way to contain him for a brief moment. She stood against a wall and taunted him, luring him to her. She had an idea.

"Come, then. Show my eyes your claws! Let magic meet melee!"

Jargos was fighting himself on the inside, trying to reign himself back in. He knew that his full power was sealed from the dark mage, and for that, he felt blessed. He knew that this elf would not be able to stand up to his true form.


His body raced forward and went to slash at the wall where the elf woman was

Layliana smiled and quickly turned to avoid the slashes. Now behind him, she forced him to the wall. "Aurora!" she called again. Chains formed from the figure's energy and bound him to the stone. "Forgive me, strange creature." She forced her palm against his back. She spoke a strange language which was a releasing spell. Light formed on her palm and flowed inside the creature. "Do not fight the energy, if you can hear me, creature. It will aid you." The spell was originally made by ancients and would banish dark energy within an object or being if the owner had the willpower to use it.

" . . . . fight . . . . Aid you" Was all Jargos could manage to hear. He felt the energy inside him, but he couldn't see it. He fought everything that was around him, trying to rid himself of the darkness. He didn't know that he was also fighting the energy sent to help him. His physical strength broke the chains and his elbow came back to hit the Elf

"This tool is mine, you shall not free it!" The dark voice said through Jargos' mouth

Layliana was thrown to the ground by the force. Pain suddenly surged through her from the breaking of the chains. "I am a warrior. I am no coward. Dark spirit, release this innocent and fight me yourself. If you cannot fight me, you are an unworthy opponent. I will not back down." Layliana stood up as if she took no hit. Her staff was re-summoned to her hand and she held it defensively. "It is dark magic like yours that have been hated for centuries by my clan. For that reason, I have been trained to face it. Reveal yourself, Coward! Face that which lies before you!"

Jargos' face contorted to a sickeningly evil grin while he fought with all his might to hold himself back.


"You are facing me! This tool is no different from that staff in your hands, I just wield this thing better!" Jargos' body lurched forward once more, this time, aiming to sink his massive fangs into the Elf's shoulder.



A small crowd was beginning to gather

"Oh, are you quite sure?" As he lurched forward, she spun her staff around like a baton and nailed him in the side of the head. "For one who talks so highly of himself, he doesn't seem to know how to handle his own problems. My staff is not a tool. It's an extension of myself, in which you cannot relate to the flesh and blood you control." She stood her ground.

Jargos took the hit like a mere gnat bumped into him and jumped up, his jaws open wide. His claws came forward just before his jaws did, yet they went to cover his mouth as he crashed into the Elf. Jargos stood up and roared out, his skin darkening as his back pushed out. He was fighting the force in his body, wrestling it with all his might. The Elf could see his face begin to elongate into a snout shape ever so slightly and his runes turned crimson red. He lashed out, taking out the corner on a building and a cabbage cart before his body returned to normal and his runes began to glow blue once more. His snarl was savage and he growled instead of breathing

Layliana finally got angry with him. "You really are testing my patience." She quickly got back up and dashed at the creature, then tossed him to the ground with a hit to the chest with her staff. "You will let me help you whether or not you like it." She used her staff to hold him down. The spell from earlier she recited again and put her hand to his chest. It was obvious that it was taking her heavy amounts of energy to use the spell. "Listen to me," she tried to say calmly. "I'm not one of your people, but I understand that you're hurt. Hear my words and let my spell pass. I have the willpower to hold you, but if you want to make this easier on yourself then you'll listen. I wish to aid, not to injure. The dark being that's clouding you, you can fight back. Say it in your mind." The white light formed around her hand again and went inside the creature. "All you have to do is want something and then let yourself have it. Believe in that!"